Minimum caliber for all of N.American game?

[DRich]

When I first started hunting brown bear in a Alaska about 20yrs ago, I met an old-timer who told me, "Son, if someone tells you they can't kill it with a 30-06, they probably couldn't kill it with a cannon." I believe Col. Cooper once said that a man armed with a .22LR and a .30-06 can hunt every animal in N. America.

That being said, I use a 45/70 Gov't for big bears (with a 12ga slug gun as a backup) and 6.5x55 for everything from whitetail to moose. Guess I just won't listen to reason. However, I've yet to encounter a situation where I didn't bring enough gun.

[03humpalot]

I stopped a Grizzly charge last summer with an 8 pound splitting maul and a Glock 19 (bear stopped before getting to me thank god) 9mm hydrashock to splitting maul transition would have sucked majorly.

I Carry an 870 with Slugs or my M1A now. Need to get a friggin .45-70 with a quickness.

[LonghunterCO]

I stopped a Grizzly charge last summer with an 8 pound splitting maul and a Glock 19 (bear stopped before getting to me thank god) 9mm hydrashock to splitting maul transition would have sucked majorly.

I Carry an 870 with Slugs or my M1A now. Need to get a friggin .45-70 with a quickness.

. I about crap when I run into a black bear in my yard. I can not even imagine that. The 870 is what I use around here but black bears are not even really in the same league.

I am thinking for you three words, " Marlin, Guide, Gun".

[Sierra 1]

300 Win. Mag. You can hunt anything in North America with it. You have a wide range of bullets to choose from. You can get a Remington 700 sendero at a reasonable price and they shoot great out of the box!

[LonghunterCO]

He needs to set up a poll.

[swampwolf]

Because "all North American game" includes the largest brown bear, I'd vote for the .338 Winchester Magnum. And, though recoil ("perceived" or otherwise) can be a subjective question, I don't think the .338 is that bad of a kicker in a properly stocked and padded rifle, weighing not much less than eight pounds, unloaded and sans scope.

[scottryan]

I have taken every North American large game animal except a grizzly bear with a .270 Win

I did not feel like I brought not enough gun.

[Cold Zero]

I have taken every North American large game animal except a grizzly bear with a .270 Win

That is quite an accomplishment. Many men hunt an entire lifetime to acheive that goal and spend a king's ransom in the process. Bearing in mind that going on a hunt does not mean that you will come back with the animal you are after. Completion of the list makes you eligeable to receive The Weatherby award. The most prestigous award in Big Game hunting. The completion of each species slam along the way, a Diamond award is awarded by SCI.

Let's take a look at all N.A. Big Game species and sub species, the check list if you will. 5 Caribou are needed for the Caribou slam, 4 Moose are needed for the Moose slam, 6 Deer are needed for the Deer slam, 2 Elk needed for the Elk slam, 4 Sheep for the Sheep slam and 5 Bear for the Bear slam.

Caribou:
Woodland
Central Barren Ground
Barren Ground
Mountain
Quebec-Labrador

Moose:
Alaska-Yukon
Shiras
Eastern Canada
Western Canada

Deer:
Whitetail
Blacktail-Columbia
Blacktail-Sitka
Rocky Mtn. Mule Deer
Desert Mule Deer
Cous

Elk:
Roosevelt
Rocky Mountain

Bison

Muskox

Pronghorn

Rocky Mtn. Goat

Sheep:
Dall
Bighorn
Stone
Fanin
Desert Bighorn

Bear:
Brown
Grizzly
polar
Black
Glacier

Wolf

Wolverine

Wild Boar

Javelina

Walrus


I would love to see your trophy room sometime.

[Thomas M-4]

Well I definitely have not hunted every north American game just deer and pesky critters . I saw were 338 magnum was posted. I my self have thought about a .338 but not magnum but a .338 federal maybe AR-10 http://www.gunblast.com/ArmaLite-AR10T.htm I would think that 25 rounds of .338 federal could do a lot of damage I would really like to have a scout rifle in .338 federal http://www.grizzlycustom.com/packages/scout/ If I could afford a nice custom hunting rifle. Of course its not a long range cartridge but to about 300 yards I think it could do the job for most of the time. Of course YMMV

[scottryan]

That is quite an accomplishment. Many men hunt an entire lifetime to acheive that goal and spend a king's ransom in the process. Bearing in mind that going on a hunt does not mean that you will come back with the animal you are after. Completion of the list makes you eligeable to receive The Weatherby award. The most prestigous award in Big Game hunting. The completion of each species slam along the way, a Diamond award is awarded by SCI.

Let's take a look at all N.A. Big Game species and sub species, the check list if you will. 5 Caribou are needed for the Caribou slam, 4 Moose are needed for the Moose slam, 6 Deer are needed for the Deer slam, 2 Elk needed for the Elk slam, 4 Sheep for the Sheep slam and 5 Bear for the Bear slam.

Caribou:
Woodland
Central Barren Ground
Barren Ground
Mountain
Quebec-Labrador

Moose:
Alaska-Yukon
Shiras
Eastern Canada
Western Canada

Deer:
Whitetail
Blacktail-Columbia
Blacktail-Sitka
Rocky Mtn. Mule Deer
Desert Mule Deer
Cous

Elk:
Roosevelt
Rocky Mountain

Bison

Muskox

Pronghorn

Rocky Mtn. Goat

Sheep:
Dall
Bighorn
Stone
Fanin
Desert Bighorn

Bear:
Brown
Grizzly
polar
Black
Glacier

Wolf

Wolverine

Wild Boar

Javelina

Walrus


I would love to see your trophy room sometime.

I meant I've hunted every kind of animal. Not every subspecies.